Understanding Russia

These days everybody is talking about the necessity to understand Russia. Russian politics are different than ours. Russian politicians are by no means comparable to Western politicians and so on.
Is it or is it not paramount to understand Russia from within, when one wants to judge its behavior? I think not.
Russia is planning to be once more a superpower. We should not lose our time by learning more about its culture. Russia wants influence.
If Europe and the US does not stand strong, Russia will hit hard when nobody expects.

Heide Tagliviani - leading European operation in Georgia

Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini will lead an EU investigation into the origin and progression of the Georgia-Russia conflict in August, the official Swissinfo news website reported Friday.
Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey has agreed to the request by the French-led EU presidency, according to the report.
The 58-year-old career diplomat has extensive regional knowledge and experience, Swissinfo said.
She was deputy head of the UN observer mission in Georgia (1998-1999), the Swiss ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001-2002) and a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)'s first assistance group to Chechnya (1995).
Georgia reportedly initiated a military offensive to regain control over its breakaway region of South Ossetia on Aug. 7. In response, Russia, which has granted passports to most South Ossetians, sent in soldiers to defeat the Georgian troops.
A preliminary cease-fire mediated by the European Union was signed on Aug. 12, although fighting did not stop immediately.
Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia, soon after the fighting.